The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) is urging Facebook to scrap plans for a version of Instagram aimed at kids under the age of 13.
In a letter to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, 44 attorneys general cited concerns about the safety and well-being of children and the harm social media poses to young people.
"Use of social media can be detrimental to the health and well-being of children, who are not equipped to navigate the challenges of having a social media account. Further, Facebook has historically failed to protect the welfare of children on its platforms," the May 10 document said, pointing to a 2019 "technical error" that allowed individuals who weren't parent-approved to enter a group chat with children.
Based on an internal memo published in March, and backed up by comments by Instagram head Adam Mosseri, Facebook is building a version of its popular app that allows "people under the age of 13 to safely use Instagram for the first time."
"As every parent knows, kids are already online. We want to improve this situation by delivering experiences that give parents visibility and control over what their kids are doing," Facebook said in a statement emailed to PCMag. "We are developing these experiences in consultation with experts in child development, child safety, and mental health, and privacy advocates. We also look forward to working with legislators and regulators, including the US attorneys general. In addition, we commit today to not showing ads in any Instagram experience we develop for people under the age of 13."
The platform currently requires everyone to be at least 13 when registering for an account. And while it's easy enough to game the system and enter a fake birthday, Facebook hopes that an entire social network dedicated to young people will help steer pre-teens away from the adult version and onto their own service. The project will reportedly be overseen by Mosseri and led by new vice president Pavni Diwanji, who previously helmed Google's child-focused pursuits, including YouTube Kids.
In their letter, the NAAG points to increasing concerns of cyberbullying, the use of Instagram by predators targeting children, and the fact that kids are "simply too young to navigate the complexities of what they encounter online"—including inappropriate content and online relationships with strangers.
"It appears that Facebook is not responding to a need, but instead creating one, as this platform appeals primarily to children who otherwise do not or would not have an Instagram account," the letter said. "In short, an Instagram platform for young children is harmful for myriad reasons. The attorneys general urge Facebook to abandon its plans to launch this new platform."